Overview & Key Characteristics

• Botanical name: *Lysimachia punctata Alexander.

• Common name: Yellow Loosestrife (variegated variety) Alexander.

• Habit: Herbaceous perennial growing upright stems, spreading via rhizomes to form a loose patch.

• Size: Typically about 1823in (4560cm) tall and similar spread under good conditions.

• Foliage & Flowers: Variegated leaves edged cream/white (sometimes tinged pink early), topped by upright spires of starshaped yellow flowers in early to midsummer.

• Hardiness: Generally rated for Zones 49; some sources list to Zone3 for very hardy conditions.

Light & Site Requirements

• Sun: Full sun to part shade. Best bloom and habit in full sun or morning sun/afternoon shade situations.

• Soil: Prefers moist to average moisture soils; humusrich, well drained. Performs especially well in moist, humusy, welldrained soils according to a botanical garden note.

• Moisture: Though adaptable, the variegated foliage can suffer in overly dry soils edges may brown if soil dries out.

• Positioning: Because it can spread by rhizomes, choose a site where spreading is acceptable or plan for containment. Some sources recommend leaner/drier soils if spread must be limited.

Planting, Watering & Maintenance

• Planting: In spring or early autumn. Prepare the soil with some compost if very poor, but avoid extremely rich soils that may encourage overly vigorous spread.

• Watering: Whilst establishing, keep the soil reasonably moist. After that, it tolerates average garden moisture, but avoid letting it become bonedry.

• Fertilizing: A general topdress of compost in spring is usually adequate. Heavy fertilization may lead to too vigorous spreading.

• Pruning/after bloom: Remove spent flower spikes to keep tidy. Consider dividing every few years if clumps become congested or to control spread.

• Containment: For garden beds where spread is undesired, you may want to install a shallow barrier or plant in a contained bed/edge.

ColdClimate / Zone3 Considerations

• While Alexander is officially rated from Zone4, listings (for example under Golden Alexander) show hardiness down to Zone3a.

• For your region (Saskatoon / Zone3 environment), success will hinge on:

  • Good drainage (important for winter/spring melt).

  • A site that gets plenty of light (full sun or bright part shade).

  • Avoiding prolonged dryness even though it tolerates average moisture, the variegated foliage needs some consistent moisture for best appearance.

• Overwinter: Provide usual garden protection (mulch lightly if site is exposed), but ensure the base isnt sitting in overly saturated soil during freeze/thaw cycles.

• Because of its moderate height (~1823in), this plant works as a bold midborder item in a coldclimate garden.

Photo from gardenia.net